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Warhammer Chronicles
Undeath Ascendant: A Vampire Counts Omnibus
A Warhammer Chronicles omnibus
Across the Old World, brave heroes stand against the dark shadows cast by bloodthirsty vampires. In this collection, three novels and a selection of short stories lay bare the never-ending battle against these lords of the night.
READ IT BECAUSE
Explore the legacy of Nagash across the world-that-was with a trio of novels focused on the greatest lords of the undead, the bloodthirsty vampires.
DESCRIPTION
Ancient and cruel, vampires are reviled across the realms of man for their cunning intellect and bloodthirsty pleasures. These quicksilver killers prowl the grim, shaded forests and walled cities of the Old World, slaughtering without mercy, in eternal bondage to a despicable thirst. Only the most valorous heroes of the Empire brave the epic quests to hold back this darkness, and hold it back they must, lest the curse of undeath makes monsters of them all…
This omnibus edition collects together three novels and three short stories focused on the dread vampires of the Old World.
CONTENTS
The Red Duke by C L Werner
Ancient Blood by Robert Earl
Curse of the Necrarch by Steven Savile
Portrait of My Undying Lady by Gordon Rennie
The Vampire Hunters by Robert Earl
Three Knights by Graham McNeill
Across the Old World, brave heroes stand against the dark shadows cast by bloodthirsty vampires. In this collection, three novels and a selection of short stories lay bare the never-ending battle against these lords of the night.
READ IT BECAUSE
Explore the legacy of Nagash across the world-that-was with a trio of novels focused on the greatest lords of the undead, the bloodthirsty vampires.
DESCRIPTION
Ancient and cruel, vampires are reviled across the realms of man for their cunning intellect and bloodthirsty pleasures. These quicksilver killers prowl the grim, shaded forests and walled cities of the Old World, slaughtering without mercy, in eternal bondage to a despicable thirst. Only the most valorous heroes of the Empire brave the epic quests to hold back this darkness, and hold it back they must, lest the curse of undeath makes monsters of them all…
This omnibus edition collects together three novels and three short stories focused on the dread vampires of the Old World.
CONTENTS
The Red Duke by C L Werner
Ancient Blood by Robert Earl
Curse of the Necrarch by Steven Savile
Portrait of My Undying Lady by Gordon Rennie
The Vampire Hunters by Robert Earl
Three Knights by Graham McNeill
761 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2021
36 people are currently reading
149 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
December 2, 2024
Undeath ascendant review
Overall I would say this was a very solid omnibus, the first two books and all three short stories being wonderful reads with great insights into the dynamic between the living and different families of the undead. The third book, Curse of the Necrarch, was a major disappointment. Although it was a drag to get through, it doesn’t take away from the omnibus as a whole too much but it does knock it down from a 5 to a 4.
Red duke 4.5/5
The first book in the omnibus and a very brutal start in the Warhammer fashion. The Red Duke has a unique style in that each chapter tells two stories at a time, the start being snippets into the past life of the red duke as well as his rise to infamy while the second half of the chapter follows the present timeline involving noble family feuds as well as the return of the Duke himself. While the present day timeline is chronological, the story of the past jumps around quite a few times which was confusing at first but blends into the story very easily. These snippets of the past also happened to be my favorite portion of the book and I wish that we could get more time invested into them as we see more of the man who the Red Duke was as well as the crusades into Araby. The present timeline isn’t without its highlights either, the feud between the Dumainses and the Di’Elbequs is a constant point of tension for the story and a motor for kicking everything off as well with some brutal action and betrayals about the way. I won’t get too much into spoilers but this book does have quite the fitting depressing Warhammer end that the setting is known for. Very much worth the read to look into the life of Bretonnia’s greatest Vampire.
Ancient Blood 4.9
Although this book had very little In the way of vampires (until much later in the story) it is still by far my favorite of the bunch. The author is able to create and craft so many different characters and side plots that all mold together beautifully. The way in which the author makes you fall in love with the gypsies and their cause while simultaneously hating/fearing the witch hunter helps gain your interest in the story but the revealing of some horrifying secrets turns the tables and has you questioning just which side you truly want to succeed. From the charismatic and boisterous strigani to the outlandish and cunning mercenaries under the Witch Hunter, you will be hard pressed to find the story lacking in interesting characters. The only thing I will say that I find disappointing about this book is that, like other reviews here, it lacks actual vampires for much of the novel however, there are many hints and subtle clues to their involvement but the first real appearance isn’t until much later on. On top of this, the book is written in a way that makes it seem like there is a final act or sequel that is missing from the story entirely. It may have something to do with a certain city in the badlands being watched over by vampires but sadly we the readers are left wondering as the author never gets the time to explore this missing chapter of the story no matter how badly I wanted it. In the end, despite the cliff hanger ending, this book is by far the highlight of the omnibus and will keep you engaged the entire time as you unravel the mysteries of the strigani and their hunters!
Curse of the Necrarch 2/5
This book was a true disappointment. The Necrarch family was a type of vampire that I have wanted to learn more about for many years and I was hoping that have my questions answered with this book, I was left very much wanting. As a whole, the entire book seemed to lack focus and finish to it, almost like it was a second or third draft that wasn’t given enough time for the final edit. There are times where the book is well written and paced with actions and dialogue that are easy to follow while in most sections the book, it is a jumbled mess. Points of view will change multiple times in a page, characters seem to teleport around the scene with little or no explanation, plots and characters are thrown in that either disappear or get snuffed out after having been built up the whole book. The base outline for the story is great and with a few touch ups could be fantastic but without them the story suffers tremendously and is a slog to get through. I would gladly read through a finished version but until then I would recommend skipping this book unless you want to look for the seeds of greatness that are laid down by this early draft.
Portrait of my Undying Lady 5/5
After getting through the Curse of the Necrarch, I was pleasantly surprised to find the greatness of this short story. The idea of things like art and history is more of an afterthought for Warhammer, even though the setting itself is a literal copy and paste of our own history, when it is utilized by an author in this way then it becomes an instant classic. Embracing the rich history of the setting to tell a different kind of story that still fits in perfectly with the setting as a whole. It is able to capture your imagination with only two real characters with such small interactions that have massive impacts on the short. A fantastic read that shouldn’t be missed.
Vampire Hunters 5/5
This short was actually in another omnibus however I am sadly forgetful as to which one that may be at this moment. As for the story itself, we are taken to the frozen wastelands of Kislev and placed in the boots of a terrified town of northerners as they are haunted by a viscous vampire until two mysterious strangers arrive with plans of hunting the beast. Even though this was a reread, I would say it was even better the second time around. As subtle as a Sherman tank, but still a fantastic horror Warhammer adventure that’s well worth the read.
Three knights 5/5
This short story actually hit me by surprise. It captures the essence of arrogance that is paraded by the Bretonnian nobility that borders on incompetence for some and false chivalry for others. Even still, the author is able to capture all of these features and even still make all three knights still hold true to their chivalric code, (Even if they are still pompous asses). And on their quest this time around they are out to hunt the dreaded Blood Dragons, a knightly order comprised entirely of vampires free of the blood thirst. And at the end of this quest the knights plan on collecting quite the reward, but will it be all they had hoped for? Give it a read and find out.
Overall I would say this was a very solid omnibus, the first two books and all three short stories being wonderful reads with great insights into the dynamic between the living and different families of the undead. The third book, Curse of the Necrarch, was a major disappointment. Although it was a drag to get through, it doesn’t take away from the omnibus as a whole too much but it does knock it down from a 5 to a 4.
Red duke 4.5/5
The first book in the omnibus and a very brutal start in the Warhammer fashion. The Red Duke has a unique style in that each chapter tells two stories at a time, the start being snippets into the past life of the red duke as well as his rise to infamy while the second half of the chapter follows the present timeline involving noble family feuds as well as the return of the Duke himself. While the present day timeline is chronological, the story of the past jumps around quite a few times which was confusing at first but blends into the story very easily. These snippets of the past also happened to be my favorite portion of the book and I wish that we could get more time invested into them as we see more of the man who the Red Duke was as well as the crusades into Araby. The present timeline isn’t without its highlights either, the feud between the Dumainses and the Di’Elbequs is a constant point of tension for the story and a motor for kicking everything off as well with some brutal action and betrayals about the way. I won’t get too much into spoilers but this book does have quite the fitting depressing Warhammer end that the setting is known for. Very much worth the read to look into the life of Bretonnia’s greatest Vampire.
Ancient Blood 4.9
Although this book had very little In the way of vampires (until much later in the story) it is still by far my favorite of the bunch. The author is able to create and craft so many different characters and side plots that all mold together beautifully. The way in which the author makes you fall in love with the gypsies and their cause while simultaneously hating/fearing the witch hunter helps gain your interest in the story but the revealing of some horrifying secrets turns the tables and has you questioning just which side you truly want to succeed. From the charismatic and boisterous strigani to the outlandish and cunning mercenaries under the Witch Hunter, you will be hard pressed to find the story lacking in interesting characters. The only thing I will say that I find disappointing about this book is that, like other reviews here, it lacks actual vampires for much of the novel however, there are many hints and subtle clues to their involvement but the first real appearance isn’t until much later on. On top of this, the book is written in a way that makes it seem like there is a final act or sequel that is missing from the story entirely. It may have something to do with a certain city in the badlands being watched over by vampires but sadly we the readers are left wondering as the author never gets the time to explore this missing chapter of the story no matter how badly I wanted it. In the end, despite the cliff hanger ending, this book is by far the highlight of the omnibus and will keep you engaged the entire time as you unravel the mysteries of the strigani and their hunters!
Curse of the Necrarch 2/5
This book was a true disappointment. The Necrarch family was a type of vampire that I have wanted to learn more about for many years and I was hoping that have my questions answered with this book, I was left very much wanting. As a whole, the entire book seemed to lack focus and finish to it, almost like it was a second or third draft that wasn’t given enough time for the final edit. There are times where the book is well written and paced with actions and dialogue that are easy to follow while in most sections the book, it is a jumbled mess. Points of view will change multiple times in a page, characters seem to teleport around the scene with little or no explanation, plots and characters are thrown in that either disappear or get snuffed out after having been built up the whole book. The base outline for the story is great and with a few touch ups could be fantastic but without them the story suffers tremendously and is a slog to get through. I would gladly read through a finished version but until then I would recommend skipping this book unless you want to look for the seeds of greatness that are laid down by this early draft.
Portrait of my Undying Lady 5/5
After getting through the Curse of the Necrarch, I was pleasantly surprised to find the greatness of this short story. The idea of things like art and history is more of an afterthought for Warhammer, even though the setting itself is a literal copy and paste of our own history, when it is utilized by an author in this way then it becomes an instant classic. Embracing the rich history of the setting to tell a different kind of story that still fits in perfectly with the setting as a whole. It is able to capture your imagination with only two real characters with such small interactions that have massive impacts on the short. A fantastic read that shouldn’t be missed.
Vampire Hunters 5/5
This short was actually in another omnibus however I am sadly forgetful as to which one that may be at this moment. As for the story itself, we are taken to the frozen wastelands of Kislev and placed in the boots of a terrified town of northerners as they are haunted by a viscous vampire until two mysterious strangers arrive with plans of hunting the beast. Even though this was a reread, I would say it was even better the second time around. As subtle as a Sherman tank, but still a fantastic horror Warhammer adventure that’s well worth the read.
Three knights 5/5
This short story actually hit me by surprise. It captures the essence of arrogance that is paraded by the Bretonnian nobility that borders on incompetence for some and false chivalry for others. Even still, the author is able to capture all of these features and even still make all three knights still hold true to their chivalric code, (Even if they are still pompous asses). And on their quest this time around they are out to hunt the dreaded Blood Dragons, a knightly order comprised entirely of vampires free of the blood thirst. And at the end of this quest the knights plan on collecting quite the reward, but will it be all they had hoped for? Give it a read and find out.
May 1, 2022
As this book is a collection of stories i will rate them:
Radu the Vampire: depressing. unlikely end
The Red Duke: depressing but nice plot
The Artist: not bad
The Gypsies: not sure about the message of this story. Would it have been better to eradicate them all as the crazy guy intended...? the story is unbelievable
Radu the Vampire: depressing. unlikely end
The Red Duke: depressing but nice plot
The Artist: not bad
The Gypsies: not sure about the message of this story. Would it have been better to eradicate them all as the crazy guy intended...? the story is unbelievable
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews